Fic: Vizzini's Rule (11/105)
Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter 11
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: It's short. Could possibly be convinced to post the next chapter tonight...
Spoilers: Cyberwoman (1x4)
Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to Russell T. Davies and the Mighty Beeb. Just goofin' around!
Summary: The origin fic continues - in which Dr. Tanizaki arrives in Cardiff...
Notes: Comments and con/crit much appreciated. Thanks to everyone who has been reading!! :o)
Previous Chapters
Vizzini's Rule: Chapter Eleven
Ianto could never really remember the next few weeks. They passed in a haze of anticipation and dread: anticipation for the arrival of Dr. Tanizaki and dread that someone would discover Lisa before he got there. Ianto stopped eating altogether unless the team was present and even then he took the smallest bites possible to escape notice. He slept in snatches, mostly on the sofa in the break area or on his chair in Lisa’s room. His new flat was ready and waiting for the day he would bring Lisa home, but he couldn’t bring himself to stay there without her.
He was extra careful to keep up appearances around the team. He laughed at Owen’s bad jokes, gossiped with the girls, brought coffee to Jack before he could ask. On the outside he was the usual, calm, efficient Ianto, but on the inside he was an absolute wreck. He spent as much time as he could in the Tourist Office or down in the archives. When he was alone, he could quiet his mind, keep it from thinking about what would happen to Lisa if something went wrong, what would happen to him.
Jack was the only one who noticed Ianto’s discomfort. Clever, observant Jack who seemed more in tune to Ianto than anyone else on the team. He stopped him in the hall to the cells one day as Ianto was going down to feed the Weevils.
“How are you, Ianto?” he asked, concern clearly written across his features.
“Fine, sir. And you?”
Jack frowned. “Knock it off, I’m being serious here. You don’t look good.”
Ianto straightened his tie a bit. “I apologize for the suit, sir. It’s laundry day.”
“That’s not what I mean and you know it. Are you okay?”
Trying to look suitably embarrassed, Ianto confessed, “I’ve had a bit of a stomach bug lately. Just makes things a bit uncomfortable.”
Jack grimaced in sympathy. “Well, that’s good.” Ianto snorted and Jack hurriedly added, “Not that you’re sick! Just that that’s all that’s bothering you. You can always take a few days off if you need it, you know.”
Ianto nodded. “If you’ll excuse me, sir?”
“Oh, yeah, sorry.” Jack moved out of Ianto’s way and he continued to the cells. He fed the Weevils quickly, trying not to breathe in the stench of the Weevil Chow, as Owen called the disgusting mix of overripe vegetables and slightly spoiled meat they seemed to prefer. Although he considered that if he looked as green as he felt, it would add an air of truth to his lie about the flu.
The rift had been quiet for days and Ianto was starting to worry that when Dr. Tanizaki arrived, the team wouldn’t ever leave the Hub. He began to bite his nails, a bad habit leftover from stressful days at school. He wondered if he dared give Tanizaki the codes to the Hub. If he could lure Jack out for an evening drink or dinner or something then the doctor could use the codes to get to Lisa. But the thought of allowing an outsider free access to Torchwood made Ianto feel even more sick than usual. He would just have to cross his fingers and pray.
He suffered through two days of agony after Dr. Tanizaki arrived in Cardiff. Ianto had gotten him a room at the St. David’s Hotel and begged him to be patient. He assured the doctor that he would call the minute the team left the Hub for any period of time. Finally, on the third day of the doctor’s promised four, Ianto got his chance.
He came down from the Tourist Office a little after six to find the team engaged in a bizarre basketball game. Ianto tried to make himself as invisible as possible, fearful that they would ask him to join in. But the game was quickly won by Owen and apparently the forfeit was drinks at the pub. Jack tossed him the ball as they left, but other than that no one even looked his way.
The second they were gone, Ianto phoned Tanizaki. He then made his usual call to the pizza place, just in case Jack checked up on him or the team came back unexpectedly. He even joked with the guy on the phone about Jack getting after him for not eating his vegetables. He buzzed the doctor in from the Hub when he arrived at the Tourist Office and went to greet him at the door.
This was the moment Ianto had been working towards from the moment Torchwood Tower burned. This was the man who could put it all right again.
This was it.
TBC in Chapter Twelve
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: It's short. Could possibly be convinced to post the next chapter tonight...
Spoilers: Cyberwoman (1x4)
Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to Russell T. Davies and the Mighty Beeb. Just goofin' around!
Summary: The origin fic continues - in which Dr. Tanizaki arrives in Cardiff...
Notes: Comments and con/crit much appreciated. Thanks to everyone who has been reading!! :o)
Previous Chapters
Vizzini's Rule: Chapter Eleven
Ianto could never really remember the next few weeks. They passed in a haze of anticipation and dread: anticipation for the arrival of Dr. Tanizaki and dread that someone would discover Lisa before he got there. Ianto stopped eating altogether unless the team was present and even then he took the smallest bites possible to escape notice. He slept in snatches, mostly on the sofa in the break area or on his chair in Lisa’s room. His new flat was ready and waiting for the day he would bring Lisa home, but he couldn’t bring himself to stay there without her.
He was extra careful to keep up appearances around the team. He laughed at Owen’s bad jokes, gossiped with the girls, brought coffee to Jack before he could ask. On the outside he was the usual, calm, efficient Ianto, but on the inside he was an absolute wreck. He spent as much time as he could in the Tourist Office or down in the archives. When he was alone, he could quiet his mind, keep it from thinking about what would happen to Lisa if something went wrong, what would happen to him.
Jack was the only one who noticed Ianto’s discomfort. Clever, observant Jack who seemed more in tune to Ianto than anyone else on the team. He stopped him in the hall to the cells one day as Ianto was going down to feed the Weevils.
“How are you, Ianto?” he asked, concern clearly written across his features.
“Fine, sir. And you?”
Jack frowned. “Knock it off, I’m being serious here. You don’t look good.”
Ianto straightened his tie a bit. “I apologize for the suit, sir. It’s laundry day.”
“That’s not what I mean and you know it. Are you okay?”
Trying to look suitably embarrassed, Ianto confessed, “I’ve had a bit of a stomach bug lately. Just makes things a bit uncomfortable.”
Jack grimaced in sympathy. “Well, that’s good.” Ianto snorted and Jack hurriedly added, “Not that you’re sick! Just that that’s all that’s bothering you. You can always take a few days off if you need it, you know.”
Ianto nodded. “If you’ll excuse me, sir?”
“Oh, yeah, sorry.” Jack moved out of Ianto’s way and he continued to the cells. He fed the Weevils quickly, trying not to breathe in the stench of the Weevil Chow, as Owen called the disgusting mix of overripe vegetables and slightly spoiled meat they seemed to prefer. Although he considered that if he looked as green as he felt, it would add an air of truth to his lie about the flu.
The rift had been quiet for days and Ianto was starting to worry that when Dr. Tanizaki arrived, the team wouldn’t ever leave the Hub. He began to bite his nails, a bad habit leftover from stressful days at school. He wondered if he dared give Tanizaki the codes to the Hub. If he could lure Jack out for an evening drink or dinner or something then the doctor could use the codes to get to Lisa. But the thought of allowing an outsider free access to Torchwood made Ianto feel even more sick than usual. He would just have to cross his fingers and pray.
He suffered through two days of agony after Dr. Tanizaki arrived in Cardiff. Ianto had gotten him a room at the St. David’s Hotel and begged him to be patient. He assured the doctor that he would call the minute the team left the Hub for any period of time. Finally, on the third day of the doctor’s promised four, Ianto got his chance.
He came down from the Tourist Office a little after six to find the team engaged in a bizarre basketball game. Ianto tried to make himself as invisible as possible, fearful that they would ask him to join in. But the game was quickly won by Owen and apparently the forfeit was drinks at the pub. Jack tossed him the ball as they left, but other than that no one even looked his way.
The second they were gone, Ianto phoned Tanizaki. He then made his usual call to the pizza place, just in case Jack checked up on him or the team came back unexpectedly. He even joked with the guy on the phone about Jack getting after him for not eating his vegetables. He buzzed the doctor in from the Hub when he arrived at the Tourist Office and went to greet him at the door.
This was the moment Ianto had been working towards from the moment Torchwood Tower burned. This was the man who could put it all right again.
This was it.
TBC in Chapter Twelve